Russell A. Cardwell Online

Lord, you have planted in each of us a seed. You buried in the soil of our souls a seed of your kingdom. And from deep in our souls, that seed calls out to you. It is this seed that compels us to reach for you. And it is this seed that drives our longing—for communion with others who strive for you.

Lord, you have sent us your spirit to nourish that seed. Through prayer and praise, work and worship, we lift our souls up to you, and you send down the gentle rain of your grace and the warm sunlight of your love. With time and care, our kingdom seeds grow into trees tall and strong. Maturing in you they begin to bear fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Lord, when you bring us together, we become an orchard. Each of our trees bears different fruit. Separated, we become unbalanced, malnourished. But together we produce a rich harvest that feeds us all, with an abundance of good things to richly nourish your whole kingdom.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
—Galatians 5:22-23

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